Tippling Around Town: Stella, Untitled, Firefly, and More

Tippling Around Town: Stella, Untitled, Firefly, and More

February is known as the month of love, so take the time to treat your honey to an evening on the town – with a couple of sexy libations to spark the flame – at any (or all) of these Bangkok nightlife hot spots.

(Hero image: Panchasa cocktail from Firefly; Featured image: Issa Plant cocktail from Untitled)

STELLA
There’s a new Bar Manager at Stella, the Capella Bangkok’s super glamorous riverside drinks lounge, and that means guests can look forward to some amazing new cocktails popping up on the menu. And while Song Terbsiri – whom many will remember from his stints at Renaissance Bangkok and The Waldorf Astoria Bangkok – isn’t fully releasing his new drinks list until mid-March, there are three new “off menu” concoctions he can whip up for you… if you ask nicely. Try the delicious ‘Old John’, which combines Johnnie Walker Black with blended tea syrup, cold brew coffee, coconut, and orange bitter, or for something a bit lighter there’s ‘Clever Hippie’, made with Tito’s vodka, lemongrass syrup and apple juice (pictured), or ‘The Fellowship’, a Peruvian pisco and artisanal vermouth combo.
capella.com

UNTITLED
Untitled (that’s the venue’s actual name) is the fifth bar by YOLO Group – led by Niks Anuman-rajadhon, Gunn Lee and Attapon De-silva – the force behind Teens of Thailand, Asia Today, Tax, and Independence. This Thong Lor/Ekkamai hotspot is the group’s first move outside of Bangkok’s Old Town area, and it brings a cheeky dose of Chinatown kitsch to the Sukhumvit scene. Outside it resembles a garish three-story pawn shop, while the interior is decked out much more luxuriously (as if one needs to pawn one’s valuables to afford what lies inside). As for the signature cocktails, they marry exotic ingredients with “unheard-of combinations”. Need proof, try the ‘Issa Plant’, made with rye whisky, cherry, and vetiver (a medicinal plant), all garnished with raspberry rock on ice, or the ‘AFS’ cocktail; a highball mix of scotch, apple, and aged fish sauce.
facebook.com/untitled.thonglor

FIREFLY BAR
Having firmly established itself as one of the hottest places to see and be seen, the Firefly Bar, at the Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, welcomes guests with fine wines, top-shelf spirits, and premium cigars (in the cosy Casa Del Habano cigar parlour). On Friday and Saturday evenings live jazz adds a sophisticated air to the 70-seat capacity room, which features soft intimate lighting, dark wood walls offset by moss-green panelling, and a leafy terrace with an illuminated tropical garden. The very extensive beverage menu includes a series of globe-trotting creative cocktails inspired by destinations near and far. ‘Turkish Delight’, for instance, combines Montelobos Espadin artisanal mezcal with pistachio crème, hazelnut and citrus, while the splurge-worthy ‘Apple Jack’ elegantly blends Michter’s US*1 rye with Cointreau, apple cordial and Champagne.
kempinski.com

PLAYROOM
The atmosphere at Playroom is mysterious, sexy, luxurious, enigmatic, and secretive – you’ll find chains, whips, and handcuffs adorning the walls – which makes it the perfect place for red hot lovers to celebrate Valentine’s Day (or any day). Recently, this second-storey boudoir bar on Ekkamai celebrated its 2nd anniversary with the launch of ‘Playroom Chapter 3’, a signature cocktail list featuring nine new tipples inspired by such films as American Pie, Brokeback Mountain, Wedding Crashers, Superbad, and Jan Dara. One of the prettiest concoctions is the rum-based ‘All Night’, which draws inspiration from the 2014 comedy Sex Tape. However, equally eye-catching is the sultry ‘Read My Lips’ (pictured), a gin-based libation inspired by the “tiny red underwear” scene in the 2004 film The Girl Next Door.
facebook.com/Playroom.Bkk

JHOL
Although known primarily for its selection of amazing coastal Indian cuisine, Jhol restaurant (on Sukhumvit Soi 18) also boasts an impressive – an occasionally eye-popping – beverage program. The signature craft cocktails here exhibit both Indian and Thai influences, making ample use whenever possible of seasonal ingredients, and premium spirits and liqueurs sourced from artisanal distilleries and producers. Fancy something sweet? Try the amusingly named ‘Indian Porn Star’ which combines vanilla vodka, amaretto, passion fruit, yuzu foam, and cardamom candy floss. Sci-Fi fans, meanwhile, might like ‘Stranger Things’ made with Stranger & Sons gin, jackfruit shrub, black pepper tincture, and chocolate bitters. Of course, for pure decadence order the ‘Macha, Where Are You Da?’ made with Amrut single malt, butterscotch, honey ginger cordial, chocolate peanut, and 24k gold.
jholrestaurant.com